Jakarta Police Expand Traffic Re-Route Scheme

After successfully reducing congestion by re-engineering traffic flow at the Kuningan and Mampang intersections, the Jakarta Police are now implementing a similar scheme at the Santa intersection in Kebayoran Baru, South Jakarta.

“Today a traffic redirection at the Santa traffic light has been implemented,” Adj. Sr. Comr. Wahyono, deputy chief of the Jakarta Police, said on Monday.

He said that under the plan traffic from Jalan Wijaya was prohibited from turning right, toward Mampang, at the Santa intersection, and was instead forced to turn left toward Santa and then effect a U-turn.

Wahyono said that 10 police traffic officers, assisted by members of the city transportation office, would be on duty at the Santa intersection to help direct the flow of vehicles.

“They will inform the drivers who are not yet aware of the traffic redirection in that area,” Wahyono said.

He added that so far, the re-routing had gone well.

“Thank God, it has been going smoothly, even though there were still some drivers who were confused, but the personnel on site have been able to help them,” he said.

Wahyono also cautioned motorists driving along Jalan Gatot Subroto from the Tomang area to exercise caution due to ongoing road work projects in the area.

“There is currently a road repair project along Jalan Gatot Subroto coming from Tomang. The repairs include the removal of the asphalt layer, which will later be re-applied,” he said.

The road work project began in early June and will last for a month.

Police have said that a traffic redirection pilot project at the Kuningan and Mampang intersection in South Jakarta that took effect on June 1 had been able to substantially reduce bottlenecks in the busy area.

Under that redirection, motorists traveling from Semanggi can only go straight, toward Cawang, if they take the flyover. Motorists not taking the flyover are required to turn left into Kuningan and must make a U-turn to head toward Mampang.

In Mampang, traffic coming from Kuningan cannot turn left toward Santa, and instead has to turn left but then make a U-turn under the flyover in front of the TransTv studio.

Traffic from Santa can no longer turn right into Warung Buncit, but must instead first go straight, make a U-turn under the TransTV flyover and then turn left to go to Warung Buncit.

Only TransJakarta buses will be exempt from the new traffic rules.

Police said the new traffic route reduced congestion by 60 to 70 percent.

Wahyono said that police would conduct weekly evaluations on the projects.

“In our evaluation on both traffic projects, we will expand them to other areas to decrease congestions,” he said.

Comr. Nurul Megawati, the head of the research and engineering section of the Jakarta Police’s traffic directorate, previously said that the police could implement the same system in two more areas in South Jakarta this month.